Hemsworth on THOR: THE DARK WORLD's Darker Tone, more Evil Villain

By Lucas Siegel, Site Editor August 6, 2013 12:15pm ET

Still from Thor: The Dark World

Credit: Marvel Studios

Thor has learned lessons from the events of The Avengers, says Chris Hemsworth, but that was really a "side-step" in his larger personal journey. That was the crux of the star's new interview with Collider, where he talked about the deeper motivations for Thor in this second solo film, and the tone of the film.

Thor: The Dark World Poster

Credit: Marvel Studios

"Thor’s journey I think picks moreso up from where we left the first one, about to take on the throne, earning the right to be king and now coming to the realization of what responsibility comes with that," Hemsworth said. However, there's a "dark side to that responsibility" that will be explored in the film, as well. And yes, fans of the Trickster god, there's plenty of Loki in Thor: The Dark World. The movie explores "the ongoing question from Thor about what is it that Loki wants and why and how did we come to this?"

While the movie has "a little lightness," the tone of the film does get darker, with a bit less humor than the first. While Earth is involved, viewers will "certainly see more of Asgard and more of the Nine Realms in this film" than in the first Thor." He said it "just feels massive" with a "bigger expanse."

That darker tone fits in organically where Thor and Loki are concerned. "I don't think they're going to go back to being best friends but there's still, I think Thor's at a loss about how they got to this point."

Hemsworth is appreciative of the individual nature of the stories of this phase of Marvel Studios films, calling the studio "really smart about removing everyone in a way that hopefully takes care of that."

As for Thor: The Dark World's main villain, Malekith of the dark elves? While "Loki has some redeeming qualities at times," Malekith's motivations will feel more black-and-white. Loki "lost his way, as opposed to never having been on the right path to begin with," says Hemsworth, comparing the villains, careful not to dish out any accidental spoilers.